The driver of a speedboat which crashed killing a TV executive and his daughter was not wearing a 'kill cord' which may have saved their lives, investigators revealed yesterday.
Doting father Sky TV boss Nick Milligan, 51, and eight-year-old Emily were run over and killed by the runaway craft's propellers.
His yoga-teacher wife Victoria, 39, and four-year-old son Kit both suffered 'life-changing' wounds in the Bank holiday weekend horror in Padstow, Cornwall.
Mr Milligan's two other children, Amber, 12, and Olivia, 10, escaped with minor injuries after eyewitness Charlie Toogood, 32, jumped on to the boat and cut the engine.
The family of six were flung into the water as their 300-horsepower Cobra boat spun out of control in the Camel Estuary half a mile from land.
Holidaymakers watched in horror as the empty craft raced round in circles, its propellers hitting the helpless victims.
An interim report into the May 4 accident has now revealed the engine could have been switched off sooner if a kill cord had been used and is urging speed boat users to attach the cords at all times when on the water.
The cord should be attached to whoever is driving the vessel so that it can pull out the ignition key cutting the throttle if the helmsman is thrown overboard.
The safety body have not said who was driving the boat but confirmed the vessel's kill cord was not attached to whoever was at the helm.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said at this stage it was "not clear" how the family came to be thrown off their rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB).
A report said: "The unmanned RHIB subsequently executed a series of tight high speed turns, running over members of the family in the water, causing two fatalities and serious injuries to two people."
It added: "The RHIB was fitted with a kill cord but this was not attached to the driver at the time of the accident.
"Consequently, when the driver was ejected from the boat, the kill cord did not operate to stop the engine and the RHIB continued to circle out of control, and at speed.
"As the RHIB circled, it ran over the family in the water a number of times, leading to the deaths and injuries. A few minutes later a local boatman was able to board the RHIB and bring it under control before further people were hurt."
The MAIB's interim findings were published in the form of a safety bulletin, issued by Steve Clinch, chief inspector of marine Accidents.
The document urged speedboat users to use kill cords at all times and to test them regularly to see if they work.
A full report into the accident is yet to be published.
The bulletin said: "The kill cord serves only one purpose, to stop the engine when the driver moves away from the controls.
"To ensure that this tragic accident is not repeated it is essential that all owners and operators of vessels are fitted with kill cords.
"Test them regularly to ensure that the engine stops when the kill cord mechanism is operated. Make sure that the cord is in good condition and attach it to the driver before starting the engine."
